(October 23, 2003) - Macromedia, Inc. has announced the availability of Macromedia Breeze Live, which reinvents the user experience of online meetings and takes the pain out of planning and running those meetings. Breeze Live is available as a standalone product or as an add-on module for the Macromedia Breeze platform.

"Macromedia Breeze Live breaks down the barriers of delivering effective online meetings by offering a simpler and better user experience before, during, and after the live session," said Keith Kitani, vice president of product management, Macromedia. "Online meetings have become a popular way for organizations to reduce the expense of meetings while retaining the interactivity and productivity. Breeze Live eliminates both the technical barriers and learning curve that have previously limited widespread adoption."

Breeze Live offers unique features not available in other online meeting solutions. Users can join a meeting by simply clicking a Web link, without any complicated downloads or setup. The solution builds on the power and broad reach of Macromedia Flash Player, which is already installed on more than 98% of online desktops, ensuring that most meeting participants won’t have to download any software to participate. The application can also be customized to suit individual presentation styles, content, or the audience by having multiple customizable layouts within the meeting room.

For users hosting the meeting, Breeze Live enables content such as PowerPoint presentations to be set up in advance, preloading both content and the presentation layout. Meeting content, such as sharing spreadsheets or giving product demonstrations, can also be delivered live and changed in real-time during a meeting without having to interrupt the flow of the presentations. The ability to deliver recorded presentations and use persistent meeting rooms that retain the state in which they were left make Breeze Live suitable for recurring meetings or presenting the same content to multiple groups.

"As Arizona is a large state and our hospital members are often hundreds of miles from our central office in Phoenix, we use Macromedia Breeze to enable member hospital executives to meet with staff and colleagues without spending hours traveling to and from our office," said Steve Nelson, director of Information Technology at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. "The Breeze interface makes it easy for executives to view presentations and discuss the material presented, saving us thousands of dollars on what we would have spent collectively on travel for an in-person meeting."

Macromedia Breeze enables companies to quickly and efficiently transfer knowledge, improve revenue generation, leverage their existing knowledge base, and reduce costs across the enterprise. The Macromedia Breeze platform enables businesses to quickly create and deliver on-demand learning and professional development courses, product introductions and presentations, sales force training, customer interactions, Web seminars, and online meetings.

Macromedia Breeze Live is available as either a hosted ASP or enterprise licensed solution. ASP annual packages start at $83/month per user for a complete Web conferencing solution, including video and archiving. For more information, visit www.macromedia.com/go/breezelive/.